LSU Completes 2018 Non-Conference Schedule Highlighted with Miami Showdown

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The LSU Tigers soared in the AP rankings in 2015 hitting as high as No. 2 but after navigating a tough schedule finished 9-3, 5-3 in SEC play, after topping Big 12 conference member Texas Tech 56-27 in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers will have likely early season Heisman Trophy Award candidate running back Leonard Fournette to help guide them through another challenging season in 2016 that includes a season opening game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field.

While all LSU fans are excited about the possibilities of next season, the four-game non-conference schedule for the Tigers 2018 campaign was completed on Thursday announcing Miami, Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, and Rice as LSU’s opponents.

Rice is one of Louisiana State’s oldest gridiron rivalries dating back to an initial meeting in 1915. The two teams have met on the field a total of 55 times with LSU owning the match-up 37-13-5. Another game a long time in the making is LSU squaring off against Southeastern Louisiana. The last and only other meeting was in 1949, a 48-7 win by LSU.

Louisiana Tech is always a tough team to play going 9-4 overall in 2015 finishing second in the Conference USA West Division with a 6-2 record. The Tigers have dominated their in-state opponent with an overall 18-1 win-loss record per one record statistic holder but since Tech joined the Division-I ranks, LSU is 3-0 against the Bulldogs. The last time the two teams played was in 2009 with LSU winning 24-16.

The showdown against Miami will be the game college football fans nationwide will circle as a game of interest. LSU has been successful against the Hurricanes with a 9-3 mark seeing the two teams first meet in 1946, a 20-7 win by the Tigers, and the last meeting was in 2005, a 40-3 win for LSU. The two football powerhouses have managed to miss one another throughout recent history, the second most recent meeting was in 1988, during one of the peaks of the Hurricanes program. Miami won handily 44-3.

With former Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt now taking over the helm at Miami, the two former SEC foes matching football IQs in a SEC vs. ACC regional event will be entertaining. Since Les Miles took over LSU in 2005, Richt had a slight edge in the series with a 3-2 mark with the Bulldogs winning 44-41 in the last pairing during the 2013 season.

LSU 2018 Non-Conference Schedule

Sept. 1 LSU vs. Miami at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

Sept. 8 vs. Southeastern Louisiana at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Oct. 20 vs Louisiana Tech at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Nov. 17 vs Rice at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Photo credit: cbssports.com; Les Miles and Mark Richt handshake after a LSU vs. Georgia game in SEC Championship Game (2013).